The Lang Rendezvous
by Queen Regent Of The North
Summary: The deleted scene after Lang's nightmare that we never got to see! Chelsie with a hint of Lang/O Brien


**I've been re watching season 2 of Downton with my mum and this appeared out of no where. I hope you enjoy :) **

A scream sounds through the house followed by a deadly silence. Then the loud yet pitiful cries

"NOOOOOOOOO PLEASE! NOOOOOOOOOO"

'What on earth?' Thinks Mrs Hughes as she gets out of bed and drags on her dressing gown. She scurries into the passage way to find half her maids out there as well.

"What's going on Mrs Hughes?" asks Ethel

"PLEEEAAAASSSSEEE" the voice sounds again.

"I have no idea, but I intend to find out!" She says, snatching the key and unlocking the inter leading door. There she finds Mr Carson, Thomas and Mr Bates all scurrying down to where the sound is coming from. Thomas glanced towards them

"Its Mr Lang" he said by way of explanation. O'Brien shot past the rest of them and followed Mr Carson into the room.

"NO NO I CAN'T DO IT" the poor man shouted as he thrashed around in his bed. Mr Carson bends down and shakes him awake

"Mr Lang you're having a bad dream" he said kindly while the other man looked up at him in terror

"They're soldiers Mr Carson" he says hysterically "I can't go back no matter what!" O Brien rushes to his side

"No ones asking you to go back Mr Lang" Mr Carson says patiently

"No just to put a sock in it" mutters Thomas, causing Elsie to glare at him

"Don't worry, Mr Lang, you've had a bad dream that's all" soothed O Brien and the man seemed to calm down

"Is it a dream?" He asks like a small child and O Brien nods "thank god" Lang says through his sobs. Carson catches Mrs Hughes's eye and inclines his head slightly. She understands perfectly, they've spent years learning how to read each other. Many times a new maid has claimed they could read each others minds and quite often she believed it herself. She nods and immediately starts sheparding the others out of the room.

"Thank god...thank god" he keeps repeating as if its a prayer

"You're all right." Said O Brien in the same soothing tone as before "let's get you back into bed, you're alright". Lang allows her to tuck him back into bed and looks up like a small child

"I'm sorry"

"Its alright Mr Lang" said O Brien as she adds another blanket

"I'm sorry" he mutters again before going back to sleep. She looks at him tenderly before glancing up and noticing Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes still in the room

"Is it any wonder when he's been to hell and back?" She demands, defending him against what ever comments they might have come up with

"Of course not" Mrs Hughes says quietly and O Brien calms down

"May I sit with him for while?" She asks

"I dare say" said Mr Carson before Mrs Hughes could answer. "I'm going down for a cup of tea. I expect you to be out of here when I come back"

O Brien nodded and pulled up a chair while Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes left.

"If you want to go to bed you may, I'll lock up" he whispered and she shook her head

"I couldn't sleep now even if I tried" she whispered back and followed him down the stairs.

"Who would have thought O Brien could have a caring bone in her body?" She said as he put the kettle on and she rummaged around for the biscuits. He chuckled quietly

"Gives hope to us all"

"Does it?" She asked, finding the tin and putting it on the table. She turned to find him watching her with a strange expression on his face

"Do you remember when you asked me a few years back if I ever wished I'd gone another way?" He asked softly

"Of course"

"When I first came to downton I couldn't imagine ever wanting to leave. I fell in love with this place and for the first time in my life I felt as through I truly belonged somewhere"

"I sense a 'but' coming here" she said as she lent against the counter

"But all that changed ten years ago. When you walked in through that door as head house maid. Suddenly I wanted to leave Downton and start a family with you. To share a small cottage with you and to have you waiting for me when I returned home from work every night" he stared at the floor as he spoke, afraid to see her reaction to his sudden confession

"So why didn't you do anything?"

"I heard that you had been walking out with a farmer and that you'd turned him down because you wanted to stay in service. I was afraid that if I had said something you would leave to get away from me and that I'd never see you again." He explained as the kettle began to whistle. He turned and quickly took it off the stove and wet the tea

"Do you want to know why I turned him down?" Elsie asked while he made the tea

"I turned him down because I no longer loved him. I'd fallen in love with the under butler at Downton Abbey even though I knew he'd never love me back." She said, not waiting for him to answer. He turned to face her in surprise

"What about when he asked again? You considered it."

"I wondered if perhaps I'd made a mistake. I didn't love him, but I would have lived a comfortable life and I wouldn't have to spend every day pretending I wasn't in love with you. But in the end...I found I couldn't imagine life without you being by my side every day." She said sadly. Charles stepped forward and gently held her waist

"We've been fools haven't we?"

She nodded slightly before he lowered his face to hers and kissed her. Her eyes fluttered shut and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him near. He hoisted her up on to the counter top and continued to kiss her senseless

"I love you Elsie...god knows I've loved you for a very long time" he murmured as he began trailing kisses down her neck

"Charles...I love you too...ever since I first met you" she whispered into his ear before kissing it

When they both departed for their separate rooms quite some time later both of them had completely forgotten about the two cups of now cold tea in the kitchen and O Brien, who had fallen asleep curled up next to Lang as he held her close

"Darling? Thank you for staying with me" Lang whispered as he stroked her hair

"Where else would I be?" She whispered back and snuggled deeper into his chest with a sigh.

**Please review and let me know your thoughts :-) also if anyone wants to write exactly what happened in the kitchen be my guest ;) **


End file.
